Page 5315 - Week 14 - Thursday, 19 November 2009
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MR SPEAKER: Ms Le Couteur, a supplementary question.
MS LE COUTEUR: Also, as you take it on notice, if the self-employed people have business expenses, are they included in the income calculations and do they need to be certified by an accountant?
MS BURCH: Thank you, Ms Le Couteur. That level of detail, even with the support of my department, I do not have in front of me, so I will bring it back.
National Multicultural Festival
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Minister, I am advised that the cost for a large commercial stall at the 2010 Multicultural Festival has increased by approximately 150 per cent and a small community stall has increased from zero to $230 since last year’s festival. Last week in question time you said in relation to the increased costs for stallholders at the Multicultural Festival:
Indeed, they have increased costs of the stalls—increased with indexation, I have been advised.
According to the ABS, the consumer price index increase between the September quarter of 2008 and the September quarter of 2009 was 1.3 per cent. Minister, what index did you use to calculate the increases?
MS BURCH: I thank Mr Doszpot, indeed the Liberal Party generally, for their interest in the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services. It is amazing what a couple of weeks can do. It has gone from my having a light load to indeed every question time having a barrage of questions.
Mr Hanson: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Clearly the minister is filibustering. She is not being relevant. She needs to get to the point of the question.
MR SMYTH: There is no point of order. Ms Burch.
MS BURCH: Thank you. Again, their interest is extraordinary. I am overwhelmed by it all. Agreements are for goods and services and providers. We have issued a participation policy which is around having groups in and participating in the Multicultural Festival. As to applications for the stalls, as at 16 November there were 35 applications from the diplomatic community, 126 from the multicultural community and 18 from commercial organisations. Indeed, there are charges there that have increased, I dare say considerably, but it has not stopped interest from those involved in the multicultural community.
Mr Hanson: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the question is specifically about indexation and the contradiction in her answer to a question last week about the CPI and the scale of the amount of money now being paid by stallholders. It is not about who is running the stalls and so on. She is not going to the point of the question.
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